Caloocan BOC Chair face life imprisonment over Kasangga vote-padding

Partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and Suara Bangsamoro will file charges tomorrow against the chair of the Board of Canvassers in Caloocan City in connection with alleged tampering of votes in the city in favor of Kasangga partylist. To symbolize the partylist groups’ protest, their pollwatchers in Caloocan City and elsewhere will start wearing black armbands.Kabataan pollwatcher Daniel Cleofas Jr. said he and other pollwatchers witnessed the tampering of votes in at least eleven precincts in favor of partylist group Kasangga, one of the organizations tagged as Malacañang fronts and whose nominees include Malou Arroyo, a sister of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. According to Cleofas, the vote padding was discovered last night in the following:

* In precincts 222-3A and 222-34A, Kasangga votes were increased from one to 81 and 91, respectively.
* In precincts 222-6A and 222-36A, Kasangga votes were raised from two to 42 and 62 respectively.
* In precinct 222-3A, the votes for Kasangga were increased from three to 53.
* In precinct 222-5A, the votes for Kasangga were increased from eight to 98.
* In precincts 222-7A, 223-7A, 223-8A, 223-0A and 222-4A, Kasangga got zero, but the BOC padded votes to 50, 72, 98, 70 and 50, respectively.

Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares, Bayan Muna general counsel, said that BOC chair Atty. Juliet Villar is liable for violation of Comelec Resolution 7859, specifically the provision against “electoral sabotage”. Electoral sabotage is defined as the tampering and changing of votes” and is punishable with life imprisonment. House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano and Kabataan President Raymond Palatino will go to the Caloocan City canvassing center today to join their pollwatchers. Mariano said that “Malacañang operators have apparently ordered its dirty tricks operators to work overtime to cheat in the canvassing stage. Mariano added that vote-padding in the partylist polls will work against all partylist aspirants because it unduly increases the total partylist votes and consequently the minimum number of votes matching the two-percent requirement for any aspirant to win one seat in the House of Representatives. “This cheating by and for Kasangga cheats the Caloocan people of their choices, works against all partylists, and denies small parties a fair chance of obtaining seats in Congress,” said Mariano. Kabataan’s Palatino said that Task Force Poll Watch has documented scores of incidents of fraud and violence since Election Day.